Police shot at tractor-trailer in Pinzgau: proceedings discontinued

The proceedings against the police officer were discontinued, and those against the policewoman were ended with a diversion, the Salzburg public prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday.

• Also read: Police shot at smuggler’s vehicle in Pinzgau: Syrian injured

The incident occurred on December 11th in the early hours of the morning. The Salzburg police had been informed by their colleagues in Bavaria that the driver of a van had evaded checks at the border by turning around and speeding away. The German police initially gave chase themselves and were soon relieved by the local police. A Salzburg patrol finally managed to get ahead of the van and the police tried to get the getaway vehicle to stop. The van repeatedly rammed the patrol car.

Shot in self-defense

During one of these ramming attempts, the police officer in the passenger seat fired his service pistol twice at the towing vehicle. A 19-year-old Syrian man sitting behind the driver suffered cuts to his hand from shrapnel. This man refused medical treatment. The public prosecutor’s office dropped the case against this officer because he had fired in self-defense, which is legal according to the Weapons Use Act.

“Accidental” shot fired

The driver – a 34-year-old Romanian – continued to flee despite the shots. Shortly before Saalfelden, he left the main road, came off the snow-covered road and got stuck in the snow. He ran away in the darkness and left the ten Syrians he had towed in the car. A short time later, two policewomen came to the smuggler’s car. Since they did not know whether there were armed people in the vehicle, they secured the car with an assault rifle and repeatedly ordered the occupants to get out with their hands raised, which they did not do. Suddenly, a policewoman fired a shot that hit a 27-year-old Syrian in the head. He suffered “very serious facial injuries” that were life-threatening, a spokeswoman for the prosecution said at the time.

According to the public prosecutor’s office, this shot was fired unintentionally because the officer stumbled while walking backwards in the deep snow. The incident was therefore considered negligent bodily harm. “Due to the specific circumstances of the crime, her admission of guilt and her previous clean record, the Salzburg public prosecutor’s office offered her a diversion with a two-year probationary period and a flat-rate contribution to the costs.”

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